by Scott Gray

Created on: July 02, 2007

More than Hot Air: The Reality of Global Warming

The debate on global warming proves that presidential candidates can resurrect themselves from the dead. When Al Gore returned to Congress earlier this year to alert the American people as to the urgent "planetary emergency" facing this nation, the debate had shifted from whether global warming was actually occurring to whether and how America should respond to the phenomenon. Americans must understand that the time to act is now, and by facing the realities of today, Americans can come out ahead.

The observation of a "greenhouse effect" of some variety actually dates to the 19th century, but the debate was often largely skewed along economic lines. As nations attempted to industrialize through factories which belched toxins into the atmosphere, it was not politically or socially acceptable to question the long-term implications of progress. President Bush played upon this fear of the American people in order to convince American lawmakers to overwhelmingly condemn the Kyoto Protocol. However, since that time, natural disasters in the form of hurricanes in America and droughts in Australia have shifted the debate on global warming to one of reality. Columnist Thomas Friedman acknowledged in May that the incredible droughts throughout Australia which threatened crops and the livelihoods of many had completely shifted the climate change dialogue. America is likely to follow after a summer of brutal flooding and critical droughts demonstrates the incredible power of nature.

More comprehensive studies now show the extent of the problem. The United Nations has finally been able to create its own report to match those created throughout Europe outlining the grave threat climate change poses, and many climate experts are introducing the world to another concept-that of the ten-year window. Warming trends are already being felt in Alaska, submerging areas which were previously thriving communities. Most experts now acknowledge that the world must now decide within ten years to either reverse its unsustainable practices which have prompted this atmospheric warming or live with the consequences. The very dire nature of this decision predicates erring on the side of caution.

The media role has actually been both that of watchdog and visionary throughout the process. Media entities first addressed the issue of global warming, and now even majorities in political life believe the problem is at least partially caused by human

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